A pair of suspected thieves tunneled through the wall of a Sherman Oaks jewelry store early Saturday morning, and despite not having anything taken, the store’s owner is fed up with the constant crime plaguing the area.
“We are afraid. We can’t sleep. Night to morning, we watch the camera,” said the owner of Neda Jewelry. He said that he was alerted to activity inside of his store in the early morning, and watched as the thieves crawled across the floor before smashing credit card machines.
He says that they were able to gain entry by tunneling through a shared wall with the business next door.
“They went through the restroom to my restroom and came in,” he said. “Then the alarm went off.”
The owner says that the alleged burglars tried to get into the store’s safe, but were unable to do so. He also says that this isn’t the first time that the family-run business has been targeted, after they were hit in 2023 under similar circumstances.
“I covered my safe like, three, four times with heavy metals to make sure this time, not easy to be cut,’ he said.
The break-in is just the latest in a string of burglaries and attempted break-ins plaguing the San Fernando Valley. While it’s unclear if any of the incidents are connected, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that the trend is so concerning that she ordered extra deployment from Los Angeles Police Department patrols in the area, especially along Ventura Boulevard and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The store’s owner said that the crime isn’t just about the store, but also the emotional toll it’s taken on him and his family.
“I lost my father. He passed away when I was 2. I started working when I was 6, and you got everything in one night from me,” he said. “That’s not fair.”
LAPD officers said that the break-in is under investigation, as are a string of other attempted break-ins and burglaries, including one in Valley Glen on Wednesday night, and another at a Studio City home late Friday.
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If you have any information regarding this incident or information on these criminals, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.